She was yelling something in his ear, which sounded like, “Laytmigao,laytmigao!”Vaxa’an would need to implant her language as soon as he reached his ship.It had been many, many lunar cycles since he’d needed the language implanter, so he prayed to the Fates that it worked.The female continued to struggle in his hold.He tightened his grip, but decided to throw her over his shoulder to subdue her best.She screeched against his bare back and he winced, his ears sensitive.
Her ample rump was on display for the entire arena and he ignored the possessiveness that ate at him.To further motivate her to cease her struggle, he brought his hand down on her rump, not hard, but he left it on her right cheek as warning, his Instinct purring contently at the feel of her.
The female finally stilled, frozen, and he strode back down the tunnel towards the ship bay.Species from all over the universe came to the Pit, to watch the fights or to try to win a female for themselves.As the Prime Leader of Luxiria, he’d been given the first fight of the night and the Krevorags had been thrilled by his sudden appearance.As far as he knew, he was the first Luxirian warrior to want a turn in the Pit.
In the ship bay, he spotted his vessel, a Luxirian emerging as he approached.It was Lihvan.
“Prime Leader,” his war general greeted him with a respectful nod, his dark eyes straying to the human female slung over his shoulder.Even though Vaxa’an and Lihvan were as close as blood brothers, his general knew the customs and abided by them among the public.“I see you were victorious.”
“Yes.”His chest swelled with smug pride.He held Lihvan’s gaze.“Myluxiva.”His mate.Or, at least, she would be.Very soon.
“The Instinct chose her for you?”
“Yes.”
Back when there was an abundance of female Luxirians, the Instinct chose a female most compatible for breeding purposes.His race were monogamous and Luxirians’ were infamously possessive over their females.They didn’t share, but it hadn’t been uncommon for breeding partners to mutually end their union once young were brought into the world.If it did happen, the Instinct chose another female and the breeding cycle would begin anew.
But aluxivawas different.Vaxa’an felt it, deep in his bones.The Instinct knew.He would ask the Fates to bless their union and if they did, Vaxa’an and his human female would be mated for life.The deepest bond.A fated bond.The strongest of connections.There would be no others for them during their lifetime.
His general inclined his head.“I congratulate you on the highest of honors, Prime Leader.”
Lihvan averted his gaze, but Vaxa’an had seen the envy in his eyes.His oldest friend had wanted to find aluxivaas long as any Luxirian had.But after the sickness that had spread through the females like a blaze, many males had given up hope.The fact that Vaxa’an had found a humanluxiva…it opened up a realm of possibilities, for him and his men.
“Shall we depart?” Lihvan asked, casting another glance at his mate.
His crew and Lihvan’s presence were cautionary ones.If their enemies knew the Prime Leader was traveling alone to the Pit…they might have made an opportunity out of it.
Vaxa’an gave a curt nod.“Immediately.”
He was eager to get his female home.
THREE
Kate stared at the scarred back of the golden alien torn between fear and disbelief.He’d carried her out of the arena like a sack of potatoes thrown over his shoulder, her bare ass on display,everythingon display.And that was after watching him thrust his hand inside an alien’s body and squeeze its heart until it dropped dead to the ground.She shuddered, thinking about his powerful form, the way he’d struck out at the brown alien in the blink of an eye.He was lethal, dangerous.
She should be afraid.But as Kate listened to the guttural vibrations of his voice as he spoke to someone unseen—analienlanguage, something she was still trying to wrap her head around—she felt the tell-tale signs of arousal.
What the hell is wrong with me? she thought, almost in dismay.Sticky black blood was smeared on her side from where the golden alien had painted himself in it and yet she couldn’t bring herself to be completely disgusted.She must be losing her mind.Going into shock, orsomething.There was no reason why she would be attracted to him.
His skin felt oddly cold against her body.And even though she’d seen him fight just moments before, she didn’t see a glimmer of sweat.His scent, though…his scent struck at her very core.On a chemical level, she was more attracted to him than any human man she’d ever encountered.
Does an alien even emit pheromones? she thought wildly and then she almost laughed.She was losing it.
Kate weighed her options.She strained her neck, bringing her head up so she could see where she was, feeling a painful arch in her spine.They were in some sort of dock, but for ships.Spaceships.Aliens of different species milled around, reminiscent of a scene straight out ofStar Wars.She blew out a steady breath, trying to calm the racing of her heart.
Heralien moved, his muscles flexing and pulling as he strode forward, onto a metal ramp.As Kate wondered what the hellshe was going to do next, she stared at the alien’s bare back.Suddenly, she realized he wasn’t quite as golden as she originally thought.His skin was like a tough hide, cool to the touch.The texture of his skin was scale-like, but it had an iridescent quality to it that had looked gold in the light of the arena.Now, in the ship dock, his skin glinted silver, light bouncing off.
She was really losing her mind because for a brief moment, Kate thought that his skin was beautiful.
They were boarding a ship, she realized, straining her neck up to see the ramp they’d just walked up.It was retracting into itself as the doors of the ship silently and smoothly closed together.
Brilliant light illuminated the spaceship.She heard her alien speak, but to whom she couldn’t see.His feet never stopped for a moment.She heard other voices and she wondered, with a burning face, how many strange aliens were seeing her like this.
His strong, muscular legs ate up the ship.Just how big was this thing?She felt like he’d walked over a quarter mile by now, twisting and turning down narrow hallways without once breaking stride.Every new voice that she heard, she always heard the same thing, a word that sounded likeix-ravax-on.Was that the alien’s name?
Finally they came to a stop.His hand came off her ass—she’d somehow forgotten it was even there—and then she heard a series of beeps before a door whirred open.The alien stepped through and she heard it shut behind them.
Suddenly, she was hauled off his shoulder and Kate cried out in surprise, only to find herself cradled in his arms again.He frowned down at her as he placed her, surprisingly gentle, on something soft.She looked down, seeing it was a large bed covered in furs and she shot up off it, backing away from the hulking, impossibly large alien, fear building.They were in a large, darkened bedroom.
